LIBRARY ST. ANDREW'S SCHOOL A/VIDDLETOWN, DEL.

Transcription

1 LIBRARY ST. ANDREW'S SCHOOL A/VIDDLETOWN, DEL.

2

3 ANDREAN Sprin EDITORS Editor-in-Chief Benjmin Lord Will Cntler Bruce McKillip COVER ART: Roer Geier PHOTOGRAPHY: AlBrour FACULTY ADVISOR: Miss Muhlener TABLE OF CONTENTS SCENE THREE SCENE TWO LES RAMEURS HOW FAR? THE ATHLETE THE EXPLOITED MAN THE MONUMENT FINGERS OF WATER GOING AWAY NIGHT OF RAGE LIFT OFF TENNIS MATCH Benjmin Lord Benjmin Lord Kurt Benz Bruce McKillip Ned Silver Will Cntler Bruce McKillip Will Mstin Sm Goodfellow Will Cntler Will Cntler Jim Ryn

4

5 Scene Three "Sit down nd listen. I'm musin. 'My Life': I could hve done worse..." sid the merchnt musin s he esed ck, delictely, slowly, deliertely in lre, fn-cked chir. "Mrs. Bush," he switched on the intercom, "I will ccept no more clls this fternoon." "As you sy, sir," replied the secretry, promptly, crisply, senselessly. The merchnt continued. "You sit! Now, now I'm oin to tlk out shippin, hevy shippin. There ws i, i money in hevy shippin when I ws youn. Bi opportunities!... I could hve done much worse!" A complcent smile oozed cross his pulpy fce: he dipped his hnd into cir ox, rn cir under his mple nose nd, closin his eyes, sniffed t it nd lit it with flourish. His eyes drted to one of severl empty chirs nd eyond them to the door. "You, yourself, comin in here like tht... h-hum, " the merchnt tted t his nose. "Slm! Bn.' All luster... Wht hve you ot to show for yourself?" The intruder finered t utton on his shirt nd looked lnkly, impssively, silently wy from the portly, dremy-eyed entlemn, cross the room nd out the French windows. "I hve..." the intruder pondered slowly in response, weihin his words nd mesurin his tone, "myself - s of yet no ounty, 'nothin to show' s you sy..." The intruder's eyes scnned the room nd rested on the merchnt's elly. The merchnt did not notice, thouh, he ws clenin his lsses. "I know it's corny..." The merchnt nodded distrctedly. "... I do hve myself - myself - with tht certin - h - ullishness. As of yet I hve not eun to urn myself out in the pursuit of welth or eun to rot on my riches - s of yet, not... ut I'm willin! Due 3

6 time! Due time!" The youth's eyes ecme lzed, lmost feverous; s he fntcized his mouth puckered into smirk. "Quit musin!" snpped the merchnt, oltin upriht in his chir. "I'm not musin, I'm smirkin."the youth welded himself to his chir. "You? No, you're convulsed with luhter, hppy, cheery, sunny, smilin, lithe, in ood spirits, chipper, y..." sneered the merchnt. "... Liht, lihtsome, liht-herted, uoynt, riht, iry, junty, sprihtly... snrled the youth coldly. "... Spirited, lively, nimted, vivcious, sprklin, nd sportif!" snred the merchnt. "Simperin, rinnin, rinnin srdoniclly, even! Smirkin!" "Quit musin/ You'll et to e just like I m!..." the merchnt wed his finer t the intruder nd then, therin his wits out him, folded his hnds clmly. "Well, s you re here, servin no purpose on God's erth, oh-h-h, 's of yet' s you sy, you shouldn't mind, would you? I would think not, sittin down for smll tlk. A cht. For you re lredy seted nd you hve lredy tlked n-n-d time is no urden for you nd no oject for me..." The merchnt tted his nose in n nnoyed mnner, then snuffed out his cir premturely. "Oh, I'm forettin myself. A cir?" The youth shook his hed. "Don't smoke, do you? As you will... It's d for you I'm told - Sure now?" The intruder wved off the offer once more nd then folded his hnds solemnly: "I took it tht... tht... I m..." "Excuse me?" sid the merchnt. He wsn't listenin. The phone ws rinin. "I sid 'I took it tht... tht... I m...' "the youth repeted. "Oh." One of the merchnt's drery eyes rose towrds the oy while with the other nd oth of his hnds he ws dividin ppers netly into smller nd smller piles. The youth rised his eyerows piteously. "Oh, h, ood, ood.'" The merchnt returned symptheticlly. "I took it tht... tht... I m..." "You're repetin yourself. Go on..." "I took it tht... tht... I m..." "You're repetin yourself. Go on..." "I took it tht..." "I'm listenin. "The merchnt slpped the telephone cross the desk crossly. "I'm dredfully sorry." "... tht..." "Plese continue..." "I m - "Wht?" "I m." The ppers which hd een spred thinly, methodiclly, pinstkinly over the desk en to fll like rin, in the reeze. The merchnt wved his hnds excitedly t the flyin ppers nd implorinly t the youth. "Prdon me, Oh God! Wht mess I'm in! I'll hve to strt ll over, in! Would it e too much for you to close the Persin linds? No. I'll do it... keep tlkin!" "I m... to e interviewed for jo nd ll I hve otten so fr is 'See Mr. Bxtor, I know of no such openins.', 'Jos!?'Here, 'We don't

7 hire mjority roups.', First door on your left, no riht, no oth!', 'Mr. Bxtor? Who's he?', 'Here, no there!..." "I see... " whispered the merchnt profoundly. "You could hve iven up, couldn't you?" "But Mrs. Bush sid there ws n openin!" "Tht's ecuse you sked the wron question." The merchnt folded his hnds. The youth cried out, "I've filled out this nd filed tht, run here, run there, until I ws so tnled up I didn't know wht to do... Nturlly I could hve thrown the whole episode to the winds ut here I m. In your office, to et to the ottom of this! I thouht you'd e rtionl! And you, you wnt to tlk. So.?" "I cn't spend ll dy with you. I'm usy mn. Besides you were rude to Mrs. Bush; you hurt her feelins! She's sensitive - see?" He threw the switch on the intercom. "Mrs. Bush... You're still cryin ren't you?" sid the merchnt compssiontely. "Anythin you sy, Mr. Morpheus," sid the secretry efficiently. "See?" the merchnt scolded nd then sid in clipped voice," nd there is no jo open t the moment. I fer you spunk hs een misdirected - which only reenforces my offer for tlk - smll mtters - fmily? " "Mr. Morpheus...." "Not 'Mor-fee-us', 'Mor-/oose'." "Mr. Morpheus, I hve mother nd two sisters.'' "Fine." The merchnt ywned nd stretched nimtedly. "Fine, wht?" "An oservtion. No more. No less." "A commonplce reveltion," sid the intruder scepticlly. "Not one tht I would plce much vlue in." "The question nd your nswer imply 'fine'. Were I not to sk I would e indifferent towrds them nd of course I would not wish tht you did not hve fmily. A fmily is no smll mtter, you know- " "Why sk out my fmily first? Why not me?!, Mr. Morpheus. Unless you consider them more importnt thn me. If they're so importnt why don't you cll them up on tht phone of yours while I wit?" "The phone is usy! Cn't you her it rinin? Besides it's you I wnt to tlk to!" "You hven't even sked me my nme -" "I'll et to tht. Do you consider yourself more importnt thn your fmily Shme! Is splin more importnt thn n ok? Shme. A splin tkes the nme of Ok. So, nd here's the euty of it, y skin out your fmily I know them, your nme, nd you! You re not prt from your fmily ut prt of it, thouh you re seprted. Therefore I've een skin out you ll lon, I relly don't cre two its out your fmily!" "My fmily nme: Joseph, my iven nme: Greory. The younest of four rothers orn to Mry - Miden nme: Greenspoon, decesed, wife of Greory, my fther." The youth replied in precise, colorless voice. ' 'By this ccount you see yourself s I see you.'' "But it's ll wron!..." "Trifles! Precisely!" cried the merchnt.

8 "No! This will never et me nywhere! A nme? A eneoloy! A rph! Words? Is tht how you see me!?" The youth threw up his lon rms. "I lied. I'll tell you..." "No, No," the merchnt put finer to his lips, "nd hve you lied in?? Now this 'jo'you spek of... Wht ws this, h, 'jo'?" "Wit! You don't know!..." "The 'jo'!" snpped the merchnt imptiently. "Wht ws this 'jo'["snpped the merchnt imptiently. "Whtwsthis 'jo'?" "I only pplied. My employer will jude my qulifictions." "Well then! Why did you pproch so - so cock-sure of yourself tht you nerly turned my wrehouse upside down hopin this fictitious 'jo' would - somehow mislyed - e disloded from some nook or crnny into your reedy hnds?" "I cn not discuss - my, however limited they re - qulifictions for jo without first knowin the nture of my jo." "Commendle ut s I hve sid, there re no openins. Not one. Nor hve there een ny recently. You, my friend, re pplyin for jo tht is of no use to us or you for tht mtter. Greedy for chnce to perform the service of uselessness, qulified s you re?..." The youth stirred in his chir nd urst out, "The Aency sent me here nd will er out my story." "The ency?" exclimed the merchnt, "Whtever for? To e nuissnce? Wht droll ency! They must e luhin t you now I et!" "Mr. Morpheus, I pid ood money for their services!" the youth pleded. "Excuse me." The merchnt reched for the intercom. "Did we order nuissnce, Mrs. Bush?" "Anythin you sy, Mr. Morpheus." The merchnt slmmed his hnds down on the desk top, nnoyed. "No we didn't, Mrs. Bush, I rememer now." "As you sy, Mr. Morpheus." The merchnt turned once more to the youth. "You were syin, Mr. Joseph..." "I told you, tht's not my nme!" "No, you told me tht ws your nme. Your very foretful ut very musin. This ency yrn is nothin short of incredile! Your 'ood money' you sy... Tke stock in wht you've otten for your ood money. Ly sum on the tle. No men mount nd I'll - why, I'll send you somewhere too. No, even free! You re nuissnce!" "You don't tke The Aency very seriously!" "Nor they you! H!" chuckled Morpheus, "And seein your predicment they don't seem to tke themselves very seriously! A jo referrl ency you cll them? H-h! Oh-h-h very musin fellows, them, rre unch! Sherry?" H-H-H. "Not now..." "Don't drink s well? As you will... It's d for you..." "I just sid not now..." sid the youth shkin his hed. "Come, come - you're itter ren't you? At me? The ency? Your fmily? Yourself? Your luster is festerin within you like chep wine. Where's tht sprk? The sherry's itter! Ah-hum..." The merchnt

9 tted t his nose. "Well -11-1, you've tken up enouh of my time with your silly lin. Time is money. 'Never wste time or money' is my motto. The jo you seek does not exist - " "Finlly I've found it! I knew The Aency wouldn't let me down! Then I'm qulified fter ll!" "Wht the Hell? Mr. Joseph... no tht's not your nme..." "Cll me nythin you wnt, Mr. Morpheus!" "Perhps you didn't understnd me... I sid the jo does not exist!" "And neither do I!" cried the youth. "Super! Then it's first thin in the mornin! But tell me, why did you o throuh ll of this, pretendin to exist? Why didn't you tell me in the first plce?" "You would never hve elieved me, wht's why I lied!" "For God's ske! Won't tht phone ever stop rinin!? Mrs. Burch do somethin out tht phone. Pull it out! Throw it out the window!! FIND ME A HAMMER!!!" "Yes, Mr. Morpheus, wht-ever you sy." Scene Two Tendril strins of liht split the drkness of the room. Collidin prticles of dust rined nd plyed on the cold ems s they rced towrds olivion on the rm of chir or in the clen creses of ed linen nd ed clothes. The liht splshed upon the hlf-opened eye of Morpheus nd died s the hevy curtins which hd een throin nd hevin on their tethers suddenly dropped lifeless inst the wll. The roused eye opened nd surveyed the room - lek, leery nd rey to the disoriented eye, ecomin ll the more lek s the eye ecme ccustomed. The door opened. A lntern cuht his eye. "You're wke," sid voice softly. A sttement of seemin reproch rther thn n pprisl of the ovious. "I much prefer tlkin to you in your sleep, my der Mr. Morpheus. Be tht s it my, I hope you're well..." The voice hd reedy, reserved qulity. You're out lte toniht," sid Morpheus throwin the covers side. "I'm fine." "You don't hve to et up ecuse of me..." he pused. "It's eutiful niht. But s you're up, why don't we sit y the window. The moon is lorious nd there ren't ny people out yet." Morpheus lit crdle, his visitor extinuished the lntern, nd the two of them took set in the lcove of Morpheus' edroom, which served s his study. Morpheus lit his pipe; he could see his uest clerly now: The Refined One, The Perfect Gentlemn, The Mysterious One. He ws dressed meticulously in lck evenin dress, cpped off y crushed velvet ow tie. It ws expensive, tilored clothin with crisp, clen lines set off with moonstone nd loodstone uttons. His hnds struck out conspicuously from his finery: lon, clen, white, sculpted hnds rnished with riht, fiery rins. In these hnds were stin cpe nd wlkin cne cpped with wolf's hed.

10 The utter liht of the moon plyed off his veiled fce, mkin it seeminly low: neulous, mist-like, hostly. There ws disturin spect to this counterfeit fce s Morpheus wtched it. It ws without chrcter, lnk, simple, white, yet it ws nimted y n extrordinry intellect. It wtched ck, cutely wre of nd t ese in its surroundins, without eyes, or with eyes tht you could not see. When it tlked the whole msk would constrict into lre creses, rowin tut round its form, chnin shpe. But the hed ws siclly shpeless ut for pek in the front where the nose ws nd depression where the mouth ws. Most disconcertin for Morpheus, however, ws the contrst etween the shrp solidrity of the ody nd the cloud-like, fleetin qulity of the hed which rested upon it. Morpheus st silent while his visitor drunk in the moonliht; he wtched the sweet-smellin, oozy wx melt over the hed nd shoulders of the ronze cheru which held it. Under the spell of the moon, the visitor en to spek. "No one understnds me, Morpheus. Existence is such hrd thin. I'm not used to it... Such terrile responsiilities!" His lre, white hnds fell dejected, exhusted, to his sides. Morpheus stred mutely in front of him. "I'll let you in on secret; mn need not fer the Devil..." The visitor's voice triled off werily. "Me, I m the Devil... Fire, rimstone, dmntion, the whole works, here incrnte, efore you shkin like lef." Morpheus strted nd smoke pitched from his pipe; he eyed his honored uest with duious sympthy. The Devil shook off Morpheus' concern with t of his hnd. "I suppose, you're thinkin tht I've come to clim your soul. You fltter yourself; s mtter of fct it's relly of no use to me; you were totlly corruptle nd ecme totlly corrupt. Wht did I hve to in? Why, in fct, I'll rek the contrct myself... You ot ood del. You would hve one to Hell nywys ut you ot full, rich life in the rin! Consider it scholrship." The Devil crossed his les, one over the other nd continued. "I went nd plyed the sme fool trick s God did;" he pused second s if in reverence. "He ecme mn nd they killed Him! My Fther! "he pouted werily, his fce in hnds. "Why did He do it?... tht perfect fool! He ws so much weker tht wy. He did choose ood person to pour Himself into, thouh - fine prents, too, relly... t lest He hd somewht of superficil hrmony. Bless Him. But He, tht ody I men, ws sinner nonetheless. Still, it wouldn't hve een hlf s d ut ll those foolish mircles! Turnin wter into... to... wine!" he choked. "It's so -- so like crnivl chrdes for -- for the cretor of whole universe! They wnted sin!" He threw up his hnds in resintion. "And they hd to totlly humilite Him. Kill Him when He couldn't ive them the sin they wnted. I - I, His prodil son, of ll people took pity on Him. I would hve let Him rule the Kindom of Erth, even Hell itself! I went tht fr! At lest He would think He still hd power. It wouldn't hve een fir to tke dvnte of Him in tht sitution! I lid ll my crds efore Him ut He never drew." "My der Devil," interceded Morpheus, "you sy you sw ll of this hppen... with olden, literlly olden opportunity to estlish the Kindom of Hell on erth, nd yet you did the sme thin? Becomin mn!?" 8

11 "Not mn, for God's - rest His soul's - ske. Why did I do it? I'm not s stle concept s My Fther... They sy I lnded on my hed when I hit the erth. I'm impulsive. I do thins without thinkin. Frivolous, tht's the word. Could you imine for second, wht I would do to the humn rce, indvertently or on whim, if I didn't limit myself somehow? Especilly without God to intervene on their ehlf? My very will would consume nd destroy them, without the slihtest vestie of uise or sutlety. So I ecme mn for mn's ske, to sve them from myself. How could I destroy mn?... They re my mirror ime: impulsive, imperfect, sinful, wek-willed? It ws the only wy to sve them," he pused. "To ecome one of them." "You missed olden opportunity, Stn!" hissed Morpheus in restrined, ut forced, voice. "I've ot to e responsile now. He would hve wnted it tht wy!" Morpheus stirred in his chir. "He???!!" "Oh, Morpheus! I feel so uilty! As if... s if IdroveHim to tht... s if I killed Him. You know he eventully pryed to Himself?! Those lst hours he ecme totlly pthetic! Oh, how cn you tlk of 'opportunities'? You, you didn't hve to see Him up there, dyin, thinkin He wsn't - wsn't even God. Mumlin, cryin, writhin, in rel pin!" Morpheus linked his pink eyelids, in complete diselief. "Nothin I do comes out riht... I should never hve otten involved in the first plce. Oh, I ws so innocent then, when I shinnied up the three for tht pple. It cuht her fncy... nd she liked it so!" "This ody you see efore you is the ody of priest... A priest of ll thins. God ecomes sinner, I sint! There's certin loic there. You cn imine the conflicts tht I o throuh. I sit here, snppin, prttlin like n old, wet crow ut I cn never do nythin relly nsty. He reels. He's ot cler sense of riht nd wron." Morpheus ot up from his set nd stood with his ck inst the wll. "Stn, cn't you see the implictions of your cts?! Do you relly wnt people to understnd you... s ein? Like He did." "I don't know, Morpheus, yet, nywys." "And e killed s He ws, without tstin the power tht lies efore you? Come, let's pille The Grden You nd I Cn't you tste it?! "The power tempts me. Lures me. Bits me. Wnts to own me!" "Give in! Stn!!" Morpheus rn his finer over his wet lips nd red Stn firmly y his shoulders. His smile oozed, eckoned, hunrily. "Give in to it! Give in, do. Join it!" Morpheus' eyes rew wide, fiery, molten. "Join -n-n us, plese! You still hve time!" "Before wht??" cried the Devil frnticlly... "Before you ive yourself totlly to them, those people. Before you scrifice yourself for them. Before they humilite you. Before they strip you, et you. Before you ecome God!"

12 Les Rmeurs Lurchin from potentil to kinetic, Speed nd power in equilirium. Bnin on her frile fether sides, Her humn nlion screms for speed. Eiht muscle sets pull nd pull in, On ll or nothin fiht to fly. Her eiht pinted wins sprkle, ctchin liht, She clips the surf with rhythmic wvelets Out of focus to her eye. Up nd out her ody liftin, Sorin low, nd smooth, nd sure. Dippin, slidin, splshin, lidin, Homewrd in the wind. How Fr? The ems of the hedlihts looked lmost like int rms rechin out of the fo to rsp the old Dode. Cly noticed this with some irrittion nd switched to low ems, somethin he rrely did even when nother cr ws pprochin. He ws it touchy nd on ede, t the time; he ws returnin home from his Americn Leion meetin t two in the mornin nd ws more thn little inerited, (".Hell, I cn still drive. I know my oddm limit, n' I in't reched it."), s usul. He ws lwys esily spooked on occsions like this. It ws for this reson tht he lmost slmmed on the rkes when the dim low ems picked out wht seemed to e flotin fiure out fifty yrds hed of him in the rod. Of course, he knew it wsn't relly flotin; he wsn't tht drunk. "God-dmn - hitch-hiker. How the hell does he think he's onn et ride this time ' niht?" A little closer now, Cly could mke out the detils of the hitch-hiker. Blue jens nd lck turtleneck sweter. Smll ckpck. Youn, mye twenty, twenty-two. Lonish hir. Student, proly. Cly distrusted students; when he ws drunk like this nd pssed them hitchin on the rod he ws ccustomed to throwin ottles t them. But this time the only ottle he hd ws full. 10

13 After pssin the youn mn, Cly didn't feel riht, somehow. He couldn't e uilty for not pickin him up; he never picked up students. But he somehow felt tht he should. Two-thirty in the mornin, nd cold out there for sweter. Noody else likely to pick him up. Well, hell. His hir in't tht lon. Cly couldn't elieve it, couldn't even stop himself; he ws pullin over. The hitch-hiker ws runnin up. "Uh... Look like you need ride, younster." "Sure could use one; it's powerful lte. How fr you oin'?" "I'll e pullin' off ' this hihwy 'out hlf mile out ' Morton." "Well, how fr's tht? I don' know this prt ' Tennessee too well." "Oh, 'out fifteen mile. Do you ny ood?" "Guess I cn't fford to e choosy, this time ' niht. Be much olied..." "Well, uh... " Cly hesitted. Wht ws he doin? "Well, hop in." The youn mn rtefully climed into the front set nd the cr strted off, Cly still wonderin why he hd done this. Boy don't look so d, relly. His hir ws perfectly lck nd his fce perfectly white, ivin him wek nd innocent look. His fce ws round nd youthful, ut his eyes reveled n unusul intellience nd mturity. Collee student, sure, ut proly not hippy. "You oin' to collee, oy?" The oy ws ffle, eer to tlk ut unsure of himself. "Goin' home now, down 'Bm wy. Comin' from Holy Spirit Collee up to St. Louie." "Holy Spirit. Ain't never herd of it.' Course I in't never een to collee. I ws in the wr, Kore." "Oh." The oy looked unesy. "I never went to Nm. My numer ws low. Don't know whether I'd like killin'." Cly looked t him suspiciously, the cr wevin s he took his eyes off the rod. "Wouldn't you fiht for your country, oy?" The unesiness rew to defensiveness. "I s'pose I would, if I hd to. I elieve in my country. But I lso elieve in God. Killin's sin - sis so in the Bile." "Yeh, it sys tht," Cly conceded. "But I think sometimes y' hve to do it." The oy sid nothin. Well, Cly thouht, 'lest the oy's ot reliion. He reched eside himself on the set nd took the ottle of chep ouron. He opened it nd the cr weved in s he took int pull t it. Then he held out the ottle to his compnion. "Old enouht to drink, oy?" A rteful smile. "Sure." Cly hnded the ottle to the oy, nd wtched s he drnk. "Better thn pot, in't it?" "I wouldn't know," the oy replied with some indinnce. "Is ood, thouh. Thnks." Cly nodded with stisfction s he took the ottle ck nd took nother enormous drink. The cr ws wevin reulrly now. Cly ws relly ettin drunk. The oy sw, ut didn't seem to mind. Cly ecme tlktive in his drunkenness. "Sure ld you in't hippy, oy. I wouldn' t took too kindly to y, if y' ws." The oy ws silent, listenin. Cly took nother swi. "I hte hippies." It ws lon time, severl more drinks, efore he went on. "I ot ood reson to. They mke 11

14 nothin' ut troule." He soed drunkenly. "Killed my duhter, one ' them strds did." The rider ws suddenly sympthetic. "How'd tht hppen? How'd she die?" "Well, she in't ctully ded. Ded to me, she is. Done run off somewheres ecuse ' tht f in' hippy oyfriend ' hers." The youn mn seemed to shre some of the older mn's ner. "Wht, he stel! er?" "Nw. He went n' killed hisself from tkin' too much drus. Ws while she hd 'im styin' with us, n' she knew how much I hted him ein' there, n' she went ll crzy n' thouht it ws my fult he died. Done run off, ecuse ' tht criminl strd n' 'is oddm drus.'' The oy nodded symptheticlly. Cly drove on in silence for lon time, tkin occsionl pulls t his ottle, ettin drunker nd drunker, the cr wevin more nd more, the oy noticin ut not syin nythin. Finlly Cly lurted out, "No, tht in't true! I killed 'im, n' I'm proud of it!" The youn mn turned suddenly, incredulous. "You wht?" Cly reretted his outurst, ut decided to tke it ll the wy. "Look, oy, I know I uz riht. You know wht those hippies is like. The police, they miht not understnd. I c'n trust you, cn't I? I AIN'T NEVER TOLD NOBODY BEFORE." The oy, shocked, sid nothin. Cly took deep reth, then went into drunken tirde. "I hted tht strd. I knew he ws tryin' to ruin 'er with drus. She sid if I didn't let 'im sty t our house, they'd run wy toether. Well, I wnted to keep n eye on 'em, so I let 'im sty. But it ot too much for me, wtchin' tht mnic ruinin' her, so I killed 'im. Found 'im sleepin' off some drus on hill y the house one time, n' I rolled 'im off the cliff. Sid to the police 'e must took too much drus n' thouht 'e could fly. Coroner, he sid he didn't think the sumitch ws even on drus, ut the jude, he knew etter. He knew them dmn hippies. Noody suspecks." He ecme defensive. "I done riht, thouh. Hehditcomin' to 'im." The youn mn stred t him in we. "You killed mn." His voice ws flt, uncomprehendin. "A hippy in't mn." The rider en to relize wht Cly hd sid, nd he ecme ferfully reprochful. "But, don't you feel ny remorse, or nythin?" Cly ws outred. "Hell, no. I done riht, I tell y, n' s lon s the police don't know - n' they'd never elieve you, n out-'-towner n' kid - lon s they don' know, I ot nothin' to worry out." With every word, Cly ecme more frnticlly nry. The oy ws excited, could not stop. "Noody hs riht to tke life. Tht mn-miht not even ' een wht you sid he ws - the coroner sid he never done drus, n' mye he ws riht, 'n' your duhter loved 'im. You done killed mn n' ruined your duhter's life, n' pro'ly for nothin'!" "Now, look here, oy. I sy I know jest wht I done n' it ws riht!" "Y 1 cn't tke thins like tht int your own hnds! Tht's for God to decide. It's sin, wht you done! An' not even feelin' sorry for it mkes it unforivle sin! God will strike you down for tht." This lst ws much more clm, clm nd certin. 12

15 "Wht the hell re you, oy, one ' them Jesus freks? God'll decide wht I done ws riht, when the time comes. He don' never strike noody down nywys. Tht's roller tlk." The oy, seeminly lowin with outre, ws incredulous in. "You don't elieve God strikes wicked people down when they commit mortl sin n' don't sk foriveness like you done? I tell you, I Know this: the Anel ' Deth is comin' for y!" Cly ws now in druken re, inorin his drivin nd yellin t the oy. "Oh, yeh? Well, it's- een three weeks now, n' in't no Anel ' Deth come for me yet!" The oy ws entirely clm, solemn, cold. His fce ws lowin, nd his eyes lzed with strne liht. He nswered in hollow voice: "Three weeks, is it, John Cly? Well, I'd sy your time's just out up." Cly stred in mzement nd fer, dedly, drunken fer. Finlly he rememered the rod - ut it ws too lte. The oulder y the side of the rod ws too close now, rushin up to the cr too fst to stop. The screm of humn terror ve wy to the screm of rendin metl; lss shttered nd flew, frme nd ody twisted into rotesque, unnturl shpes; the demolished vehicle ounced off the oulder nd over the ede of the cliff, struck n outcroppin on the wy down; the s tnk exploded. The cr ws firell of deth efore it hit the round elow. Ruskin knew it ws lte to e drivin on this deserted, dnerous rod, ut he wnted to e in Florid the next dy. He ws lso too drunk to worry out it, nd too hppy. He ws free now, free from his puritnicl wife who hd demnded too much of his time nd his drinkin-money, free to retire on the smll fortune he hd stolen from the nk where he worked, to live it up in South Americ with ll the irls nd ooze he wnted. He hd hd to stop t the r few miles ck nd et drunk, to foret the wy she hd scremed. He felt fine now, knew there ws no wy he could e cuht. Suddenly, on turnin corner, there hed in the middle of the rod ws youn mn in lue jens nd lck turtle-neck sweter, jumpin up nd down nd wvin his rms excitedly. Funny wy to hitch-hike, Ruskin thouht. He pulled over unstedily. "Wht's the troule, oy? Tryin to et ride? " "I ws," he pnted, "ut I just seen wreck ck there, 'out qurter-mile. Looks horrile! Must flew over the cliff n' cuht fire - in't no wy nyody survived. I thouht mye you could tell the sheriff on your wy throuh town. Oh, Christ!" "Tke it esy, there." Ruskin ws unesy, reluctnt. "I'll do tht -1 uess it's the lest I cn do. Wouldn't mind some compny, thouh. You wnt ride?" "Sure could use; it's powerful lte. How fr you oin'?" 13

16 The Athlete Plyin in the dirt Some ruleless childish mes Dncin hppily on the shes Of heroes one He rows nd lerns To mke his plce His clets leve smll Mrks in the ncient erth Deepenin with His risin force But ones roken muscles tired Ply hs ended Then trded Defence to desk He sits with TV Cold cns of eer, cirettes His formless elly Hnin low Pullin him down like Arms of wntin erth His dydrems turn to ft And Sundy fternoons Trnished pride hns on the wll While children dnce On the dusty lwn. 14

17 The Exploited Mn A ply in one ct ut four scenes tht is sort of dedicted to Crole, ecuse it ws in letter to her when I first wrote it. The curtin rises on n empty ste. Two men wlk on from ste riht. They dress in the ustere mnner of men who re more thn ods. This is certinly n unexcitin existence we've een ledin, Relly? Tht's very perceptive of you. Oh don't e srcstic, plese! I don't like it ny more thn you do. But relly, there isn't nythin to do, not nythin. Well, let's crete somethin. The floor is open to suestions. How out universe? And just wht re we oin to put in this universe of yours? Oh, strs? And plnets? And neule? There re ll sorts of thins we could do. And just who is oin to keep the plce in order? I personlly miht et ored with it nd foret it fter while. Then wht's oin to hppen to it? You just cn't o levin universe round like tht. It's messy. There just hs to e some upkeep on the plce. Well...we could mke od in. Wht is he oin to do when he ets ored? After ll, we re experts in the field of wht it's like to e ored, nd I for one would hte to inflict tht kind of urden on nythin else. We could lwys mke people to muse him. But tht lwys turns out wron! If we mke universe nd stock it with people then he never likes it, or it's the other wy round. It never works out. Rememer the lst one? Plese, you know tht ws one of my more notle filures. Besides, universes re never tht excitin. The conflicts in them never lst lon enouh to e of ny rel importnce, you know tht. It lwys runs down. 15

18 Oky then, I hve n ide. Why don't we let this od crete his own universe? I'll ive you one thin, it's certinly different. Then he'll e le to project his own ide of wht universe is nd wht strs re nd wht people re nd - By olly, I think you've ot somethin there. His own ides of people... Tht could e very interestin, now tht you mention it. I'd love to see wht kind of people he would mke. It would e fscintin, solutely fscintin! But I've thouht up ll the ides until now, so you nswer me question; wht do you wnt this od to e like? Tht is point I hdn't considered. If we mke him too nmypmy like on some previous occsions, he miht mke up relly simple universe so tht he wouldn't hve to do ny work. He miht try the sme trick we did tht time we mde universe without time. Rememer how orin tht ws? Gd, yes! Tht ws wful! Tlk out orin...! We certinly wouldn't wnt repet of tht sitution. Wht we need is od tht knows power nd its uses, someone we cn trust for n excitin show. But wht chrcteristics will cuse him to fulfill wht we wnt? There must e somethin, some sinle thin tht we cn ive him to mke him work! As I oriinlly pointed out, it is prolem. Wit! Perhps the qulity we seek is loneliness! Imine ein the ruler of universe with whtever kind of people he wnted, whtever kind of formtions he wnted, whtever he wnted period, ut no one to relly tlk to ever. No plce to dump his emotionl urdens ut ck into the universe tht cused them! Forever lone, no mtter wht he does! Never reson to e ored, only forever lone. Unle to escpe the relity tht he himself would hve creted. Then he would hve to work to keep from thinkin out wht he didn't hve, compnionship. You're riht I elieve. Tht is the qulity tht we seek. Wht kind of universe nd wht kind of people would such ein crete? Oh we must see, we must. 16

19 CURTAIN The curtin rises. Ain, the scene is empty, ut for nondescript lump of white in the center of the ste reveled in only enouh lue liht to mke it visile. The scene opens with voice from off ste, the voice of. It contins the slihtest of echoes in it, enouh to hint t uthority without oin overord. v Let there e od. (t this, the white hep shows the slihtest sins of stirin) And let him e forever lone. Grnt him the power to crete his own universe, with whtever he pleses in it, ut mke him forever lone. Mke him omnipotent in his plne, ut eternlly without compnionship. NOW HE IS! (t this the white hep rises s od) (deliertely) I... m... God. But wht m I to do with myself? Is there no one else round? (the lihts et rihter) HELLO! HELLO? HELLO?! But I m nowhere. Then I hve to mke plce to e?... Of course I do! Tht's LET THERE BE A UNIVERSE! (the ste lckens) LET THERE BE STARS (strs pper) LET THERE BE PLANETS AND CONSTELLATIONS AND NEBULAE AND AND ALL THAT FILLS A UNIVERSE! AND LET THERE BE TIME, AND IN DUE COURSE OF TIME, LET THERE BE LIFE, (s ech of the ove is mentioned, it ppers, motionless until the mention of time, t which point this new universe eins to move. There is no immedite chne t the mention of life). Well now I hve universe for myself. Now I hve somethin to do with myself in my free time. But somethin is missin. I hve the power to mke it, ut I don't know wht it is tht I feel I need. Wht is it? I suppose I'll know in time, ut in the interim, I wish I hd someone to tlk to nd explin this strne feelin to... (he now leves ste left, while t the sme time, nd enter the other wy, lookin round in n interested mnner, s those do who hve no rel stke in somethin new, ut re rther fscinted y it solely for its novelty) Well there he oes. He's done nice jo of puttin toether universe, hsn't he? Yes, it is first rte, isn't it. He hsn't relized tht he is completely lone yet, hs he? No. There will hve to e people efore he does. He will hve to see people who re not lone efore he cn relize the full sinificnce of how lone he relly is. (they now ein to wnder off ste) This certinly is nice little universe he's mde here, yes sir... 17

20 CURTAIN The next scene opens inst ckround of strs, nd re seted somewhere visile ut out of the wy, tkin in ll tht they see nd her. In the foreround is God with mn who will turn out to e Jesus, You must! j j j j You're out of your mind. You hve to, for them if not for me. You re relly out of your mind. You re insne! Cn't you see? Are you relly so thick-witted s to not e le to see?! You hve to. It's wht I creted you for. Your prophets weren't enouh? I would sy tht they hve done hell of jo. Look t your Jews! A whole dmn rce followin your every whim! Tht's the whole point! They follow my rel will like unch of jcksses ein pushed into fire! Somethin hs ot to ive soon, nd tht thin is oin to e you. Isn't it esy for you to sy. Well you listen to my side for little while. I'm not od. I m only person, leit person who hs seen you fce to fce nd tlked to you, ut still person. I m humn ein, nd s such I hve feelins, physicl feelins, feelins of pin. Hit me nd I know it. And I don't like the ide of ein tcked up on cross one it. I don't like the ide of sufferin one of the most pinful methods of deth tht men hve ever devised. Do you know wht hppens? You hn there until your muscles finlly relx, nd then you die very, very, slowly ecuse you cn no loner rethe. You sphixite. You suffocte, do you understnd? And this is ll while ein niled y the hnds nd feet to couple of pieces of wood. And I don't wnt to suffer tht kind of deth. There isn't nythin in this universe of yours tht could hurt you if you didn't wnt it, ut there is hell of lot tht cn hurt me. And I don't wnt to hurt. All riht. You listen to my side now tht I've put up with your tle of sorrow. I don't know where I come from, or wht I'm supposed to e doin here, ut one dy I ws here. I don't know if I ws ever in n existence efore this one. But when I cme here there ws nothin, nothin t ll. Wht is now your universe ws complete void. Nil. Empty. And I hd to fill it. I mde the strs, the plnets, nd time, nd more importnt for you, I lso mde life. But in the eons tht I hve een here There is one thin tht I hve never een le to mke, nd tht is compnionship. I hve never hd nyone to tlk to, no plce to turn when I m down nd trouled. It isn't esy to e od, not esy in the slihtest it. 18

21 j j j Why do you wnt people to even know out you? Wouldn't it e esier to just o lon without people lwys cllin on your nme? I hve to e worshipped or else I would e so lonely tht I miht try to destroy the entire thin with one snp of my finers. Worship is the closest thin tht I hve to compnionship. It is the only time tht I come nywhere ner feelin s if there is someone who understnds my feelins, (now spot comes on nd s the lihts dim on the other two; it seems lmost s if they re tlkin in etween the seconds where the other two spek) He tends to et upset, doesn't he. Who? I men which one? Neither is in very fine humor. I suppose I could men oth, couldn't I. Do you think it would work? I relly don't know. It seems so cruel thouh, nd mye even sort of pointless, do you know wht I men? Yes, thouh I uess he knows wht he's doin. He (esturin towrds Jesus) doesn't seem to understnd tht he loves him like he were son. Tht's wht he clls him, isn't it. "My son, the son of God." The loneliness is einnin to et to him I think. He cn never hve nyone s close to him s son would e. I just don't know wht this kid's crucifixion is oin to prove. Will n entire plnet of people fll in line ecuse of sinle deth? He certinly seems to think so. (spot now returns to foreround) I will not do it, I tell you. You will ecuse I'm tellin you tht you re oin to do it. No. NO. NO! I hve tried to explin it to you for too lon lredy. There is no more time for explntions. You re oin nd you will live the life tht I hve prepred for you nd when the time comes you will die s pinful deth s ny one of your kind hs ever died, ut you will not screm in ony, rther you will sy those thins down from the cross tht I wnt you to sy, nd then when you re ood nd ded, then when to everyone's stisfction you re solutely stone cold ded, then they will cut you down from tht cross nd three symolic dys lter you will come out of the tom tht they put you in nd prove for nother four or five thousnd yers or so 19

22 tht the power of God is omnipotent. And I no loner ive you ny choice in the mtter. This is wht I hve ordined for you nd tht's the wy it is. (puse for few wkwrd seconds while Jesus sors ll of this, then, when it hs hd chnce to set in, very slowly nd deliertely... ) You re out of your!-?&%4);0+ mind. I think I do see now. You re so strved for little understndin tht you re redy to see me die on tht cross just so tht people will follow you, even thouh you know tht no one will understnd ny etter nd- (t this point Jesus is frozen in mid speech, thouh oviously not y God who looks on mzed for few seconds nd then, just s suddenly, suffers the sme fte; fter n intervl lon enouh for this to reister with the udience, the spot shifts ck to nd, with wipin his row s if he hd just verted mjor disster) Why did you do tht? Didn't you see wht ws hppenin? (with no ide wht ws hppenin) No. He, tht, tht Jesus tht our God wnts to scrifice, he ws on the vere of revelin to our God exctly wht it ws tht motivted our God to do ll tht he did. He would relly hve understood God! And tht would hve een the compnionship tht he so dly needed. It would hve een the end of our most successful universe yet! We re lucky tht we, I, hppened to come lon to wtch t this time. Wht wreck! Now tht you mention it, I see wht it is you men. I uess tht it relly would hve ruined it ll, wouldn't it? Rememer when we first thouht this up the qulity tht we decided would e the one tht would mke this God successful? Certinly! You thouht tht one up. Loneliness, wsn't it? Tht's riht. His loneliness is the only thin tht keeps him oin.. Now ll tht he does is run round syin "Oh, I'm so lonely." without ever seein tht it's wht keeps him oin. For his own ood, God must never know the truth. If he ever finds out then he'll just stop. So wht will we do? I don't know. Wit second, I do. God wnts this uy down on erth doin his jo, so we simply olie him. Then we rrne for neither of them to ever rememer this incident. 20

23 I suppose tht tht's the wy we'll hve to do it, ut somehow it seems rther like chetin. But then stoppin tht uy just efore he lew the whole thin is kind of chetin too I suppose, so it will just hve to e this wy. So this Jesus is oin to die. Tht should e interestin. CURTAIN The scene opens with ll the chrcters on ste. In the left rer Jesus hns on cross. Sittin in the riht foreround re nd, in in the cpcity of oservers. God sits on the floor with his ck to the cross nd fcin the udience, I think this could e it. j j j j j j I've hd tht sme feelin myself. This is oin to e it. It's kind of sd in wy. I've relly enjoyed this o round. It's een lot of, well not exctly fun, ut it hs kept up the interest. Look t our God there. Sort of funny lookin in sd wy, isn't he? Yes, I suppose so now tht you mention it. Hey God! Wht? It hurts. They don't crucify people ecuse it's plesnt wy to die. (under his reth; You no ood two it (risin from the sort of stupor tht he hs een in until now nd wheelin round to confront Jesus fce to fce) Don't other to swer t me. You know wht the difference etween you nd me is, God? (forcin luh) You cn turn to fce me, while I cn't turn to fce you. Don't other. The people cn't see me nd they cn't her you unless I wnt them to. You re to ply the me my wy, ecuse I m God. It must e nice not to e le to feel pin, you pi. Sy the words you're supposed to... Et s. (God continuin) You'll hve to eventully. I won't let you die until you do. 21

24 j j j j j Dmmit! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT PAIN IS! HOW THE HELL CAN YOU STAND THERE AND TELL ME WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU WON'T EVEN LET ME DIE!? ( (without ner) Sy the words. I've one lon so fr. I won't o lon ny more. I don't cre wht hppens to the rest of the humn rce. I JUST WANT TO DIE! DO YOU HEAR ME? I JUST WANT TO DIE! Sy the words. I've sid lmost ll of them. Why don't you let me die (cryin) Plese God? Plese? Sy the words. The words contin the truth, (commndin) Let the people her the truth. This is it. Do you wnt truth, God? I'll ive you truth. Here's truth. YOU ARE A DEPRESSIVE, GOD. YOU ARE AN EGOMANIAC. THERE IS ONLY ONE THING THAT MOTIVATES YOU, AND THAT IS THAT YOU ARE ETERNALLY ALONE. THAT IS THE ONLY REASON THAT YOU SEEK THE WORSHIP OF ALL THESE PEOPLE, BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT MAYBE IN THEIR WORSHIP YOU'LL FIND THE COMPANIONSHIP THAT YOU LACK. BUT YOU'LL NEVER FIND IT. THAT'S TRUTH, GOD, THAT'S TRUTH. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?'.THAT'S TRUTH! YOU CAN NEVER HAVE A FRIEND! (puse) I... I'm sorry. (quietly) Eloi, Eloi, lem schthni. (he dies while God kneels on the floor nd cries with his hed in his hnds) Well it's done now. Tht will hve finished him. Now this will e just like ll the others with orin Gods. Let's o. (he ets up s if to leve) C'mon. This plce will et to e rel dr. You know somethin? Wht? I don't even think tht God is oin to resurrect Jesus like He sid He would. CURTAIN THE END 22

25 The Monument Findwell, Pennsylvni, is diminutive col minin town just west of the northern tip of the Blue Ride Mountins. It consists of enerl store, smll sloon, Luthern church, nd hotel - three rooms. When I pulled into Findwell in erly summer to work in the strippin opertion there, my first ction ws to check into the hotel, s the hundred or so compny houses ner the minin site were in the process of ein refurished nd dded to y the new compny. My second ction ws to drive out to the site to tlk to my new employer. Fresh out of collee with my rnd-new enineerin deree in my hnd, I hd never seen strip mine close up, nd ws nxious to do so. My interview ws short nd uneventful; I knew wht my jo ws to e nd wht the oss would hve to sy. So I soon hd my chnce to tke look t the opertion. The Findwell strippin site hdn't een worked for ten yers, nd would hve een deserted entirely if the compny I ws workin for hdn't come up with new process tht could et some more ood out of it. The site ws, needless to sy, mess. Overrown, the round covered with sediment from ten yers' rins, rusted, osolete mchinery left out - it ws oin to tke some work to et the plce ck in opertion in. But t the time, the thin tht interested me most ws not the stte of disrepir of the opertion. In the middle of the strip mines, surrounded on ll sides y hlf mile of stripped-out lnd, ws sinle mn-mde mes, on the sme level s the round round the diin. And on the mes ws sinle, hue elm tree. Tht tree puzzled me ll the wy ck into town, nd I thouht out it while I ws ettin myself settled in my hotel room. Strip miners destroyed lots of trees, some of them undoutedly older nd ier thn tht one. It seemed wfully funny tht the miners who hd left yers o would hve one out of their wy to spre tht sinle tree. The minin compny tht hd owned the site ws out of usiness these mny yers, nd the rel estte ency hd sid nothin out it. Oh well. Proly just some old superstition, or mye just sentimentlity. I forot out the tree, nd spent the next severl dys surveyin the re for the new mchinery. Now, I mentioned tht Findwell hd enerl store. The store ws not owned y the compny, s minin-town stores usully re, ut y n old miner, Cle Hiins y nme, who hd worked in the Findwell mines since the shft minin dys. He, nd mye ten other old loners, hd remined in Findwell fter the minin hd stopped ten yers efore, frmin little, I suppose, to mke livin. The enerl store ein just opposite the window of my room, I soon noticed tht every dy the old timers would conrete in front of tht store to tlk over old times, these ein ll they hd left. Since the new compny strted movin in, some of us newcomers en to ssemle there s well. The veterns liked to her how life ws comin ck to Findwell, ut they treted us, s one miht expect, s youn upstrts with lot to lern. 23

26 The dy efore we were to strt preprin the strippin re for the new opertions, I ws stndin in front of the store with few others, tlkin with Cle nd his cronies on their chirs on the porch. Cle ws lwys in the center, ft, comfortle old mn with tlent nd reputtion for tellin the dmndest stories, which I loved to her. There hd een lull in the storytellin, nd I rememered the old tree s possiility for ledin Cle into nother one. "Hey, Cle. How old re you, nywy?" Cle's eyes sort of twinkeled. "Oh, 'out, fifty, lst time I counted." "Just out s old s tht old tree in the middle of the mines? " He looked t me slyly, like he knew wht I ws ettin t. "Hell, no. Tht tree in't s old s it looks. I ws here efore it ws." "Hm. Well, wht's it doin there, nywy?" Cle lened his chir ck inst the storefront, closed his eyes nd smiled, s he lwys did efore einnin story. Presently he pointed his pipe t me didcticlly nd replied. "You know wht tht old tree is? Tht there's old Bruin McLeod's tree." He wited moment, then continued. "Now, I suppose you're onn wnt to know who the hell ws Bruin McLeod, nd how his tree cme to e there. Well, I'll tell you. "I cme here when the compny ws just strtin to di shfts round here. I ws just youn fell like you then. Now, in these hills tht the compny ouht up there were fifteen, mye twenty fmilies of mountineers, just squttin' on stte lnd, nd we hd to et 'em out. Ther ws little it of troule nd even it of shootin', ut noody ot hurt nd finlly they ll moved off. All except for old Bruin, tht is. "I don't know whether Bruin's folks ve him tht nme, or whether the other mountineers did, ut he sure ws i er of mn, nd stron nd stuorn s he ws i. He hd him shck y himself 'wy up to the top of McLeod Mountin over there, nd when we strted chsin' folks out, there wsn't noody could et ner tht shck. He'd shoot your ht off efore you were close enouht to holler. One time the compny hired twenty rmoured urds to o nd flush him out t niht, fiurin' tht'd e too mny for him to shoot t. Well, when they ot to the shck there wsn't no Bruin there, nd they couldn't find him nywhere. So, they urnt down his shck hopin' he wouldn't come ck, nd when they ot ck to the site, the office cin ws urnt down. A week lter he hd him rnd new shck on the sme foundtion s the old one. "Well, he wsn't hurtin' nyody just livin' y himself up there, so we let him lone for while. But s soon s we strted fellin' trees to sink the shfts, he strted comin' round the site, hidin', shootin' t us sometimes, yellin' tht they ws his trees nd he wouldn't let us cut 'em down. The compny posted urds round to keep him wy, nd he styed wy, until fter we ot the first shft sunk, riht where tht tree is now. "Well, it ws out month since ny of us hd seen old Bruin, nd we ws worried out him. You see, we ll kind of liked him little; we didn't like the compny much more thn he did nd we ll thouht it ws shme tht he ws losin his trees, nd we kind of dmired him for fihtin' ck. Well, like I sy, we hdn't seen him for while. Then one niht everyody in the cmp hers this kind of echoey knockin' sound from down in one of the tunnels we've strted. So I o down to hve look, 24

27 nd there's old Bruin, choppin' wy t the supports with n xe. Well, s soon s he sw me he looked ll scred nd red his rifle nd took shot t me. Only it wsn't t me - went riht over my hed nd he ws only ten feet wy. He only wnted to scre me. Fct is, he never did shoot t nyody -1 don't suppose he could of hurt fly, much s he did hte losin' his trees. "Well, nywy, when he fired tht shot the round strted to shke, nd the tunnel strted cvin' in. Lst time I sw Bruin, he ws stndin' there like scred kid, tryin' to hold up the ceilin. "Now, the very next thin I sw ws the cmp swones' fce endin' over me in my tent, so the rest of this story I herd from my uddies. Seems when tht un went off they ll herd the tunnel ive in nd sw ll the dust fly out of the shft, nd they ll ve Bruin nd me up for ded. But pretty soon, there's old Bruin climin' up the shft ldder with one rm nd holdin' me up with the other -1 sid tht mn ws stron - nd I'm not hurt much, ut he looks like he's just out hd it, with his ris ll roke nd everythin. He just mned to set me on the round ll sfe, ut old Bruin, he didn't quite mke it. He just kind of finted nd fell ckwrds into the shft. Aout this time the rest of the tunnel oes nd the shft with it, nd tht's the end of old Bruin. "Well, we hve him Christin funerl nd put little mrker there where the shft ws, nd lter on we du nother shft somewhere else ecuse we wouldn't e le to di there for while, nturlly. Lon out next sprin, thouh, little splin strted rowin' up riht under tht mrker, nd pushed it out of the wy. You could lmost see how tht splin ot ier every dy. We ll clled it Bruin's tree, nd we took ood cre of it. "Aout six yers lter when the compny decided to strt strippin', nd y tht time tht tree ws s wide s Bruin himself nd three times s tll, nd we just didn't hve the hert to di it up, we just du round it. Tht ws just out mye twenty yers o, nd look how i old Bruin's tree is now! I in't never seen tree rew so fst." Cle knocked out his pipe, which ment tht the story ws over. The sky hd een little pink round the edes when he strted, nd now it ws lmost drk, so I thnked him nd sid ood-niht to the others nd went ck to my hotel room. But I ws intriued with the mn nmed Bruin McLeod nd the tree tht men rememered him y, nd I must hve styed up hlf the niht thinkin out them. Bruin would not e rememered much loner, ecuse the first thin our compny ws to do the next dy ws to ulldoze tht tree nd cut wy the mes it stood on. I chose to o nd wtch it ein done; tht tree hd once ment somethin, nd, if it hd to die, someody who knew wht it ment should e there to py respects. When I ot to the site nd prked on the nk of the strip mine, trck hd lredy een crved up the side of the mes, nd our three rnd-new shiny dozers were on top. One mn ws just strtin on the tree in one of them s I rrived. But when the mchine strted pushin wy t the roots, the tree ve lot more esily thn nyone expected. It en tippin over, then the round round it en spillin downwrd into the center of the mes. At the moment, only I knew wht ws hppenin: the shiftin of the 25

28 round cused y the uprootin of the tree hd opened wek spot over wht ws left of the old shft. The tree tipped, the hole opened, the round poured down the hole like sopsuds oin down drin, tkin the three dozers with it. The the hole closed up in, nd the tree settled ck in only out fifteen feet deeper thn it hd een efore. The funny thin ws, tht when the one dozer with mn in it hd strted topplin into the hole, the driver ws thrown out of his set - nd ws cuht in the rnches of the tree. Finers of Wter Rin drops emmultin from fr cloud, Descendin, plummetin, smckin the round, Sturtin nd expunin the soil. Drop y drop soked up y plnts, drunk in y the thristy soil. The soil hs hd its fill, ut rin keeps peltin down. Finers of wter re in the soil diin, ouin, nd crryin wy the precious lnd. 26

29 Goin Awy "Pss it.mrk," I shouted, since Chrles nd Lnce were zeroin in on him. The ll cme ouncin cross the mud to me. I kicked the ll in front of me, nd heded cross the field with everyone else chsin me. "Oh, crp, mud spot!" I yelled s I did net slide while losin complete control of the ll. "Hey, you uys, I'm oin to quit, now. I'm too muddy s it is. You cn finish without me," sid Lnce. 'Hey, wit for me," I sid. "Chrles nd Mrk, do you wnt to quit?" 'Yeh, I'm tired now," sid Chrles. 'Me, too," dded Mrk. "Let's o sit down nd wtch." 'I uess this is the lst time we'll see you, Chrles,, sked Lnce. 'Afrid so." 'Are you sure your prents won't chne their minds?" I sked. 'No, my fther is ded set on oin." 'Oh, no! Here comes little Rudy," wrned Mrk. Rudy wlked up with i rin. "Did you sy your fther ws ded? It must run in the fmily." "Go wy - fr wy!" moned Lnce. Rudy pid no ttention nd st down. "You could run wy to show how much you wnt to sty here. By the wy, Rudy seems terrily concerned out your oin or styin," sid Mrk. "Riht, while he's t it he could urn his new house down," I sid. Rudy chipped in, "Not d ide if you urn your house up here." "Shut up." "Rudy, would you kindly leve here efore I et sick of you?" Chrles sid. "Aw, I'm not otherin you, m I?" "Course not. Now et it," Mrk sutly suested. "Ohh, I'm frihtened." "Just foret him, nd he'll o wy," sid Lnce. "Yeh, well, ettin ck to the suject, --we'll relly miss you." "Not much we cn do out it, is there? " sid Chrles.. "Thnk hevens." Mrk rolled over nd red Rudy y the collr. "Shut up!" "Oh, Christ, let's leve," I sid. I tried to picture life without Chrles. Nothin fit. "Rudy, stop untyin my shoelces!" Lnce shouted. "Chrles stood up, "I uess I hd etter e oin. I've ot to pck nd do odd jos. Mye I'll see you sometime this summer. Bye." "Bye. I hope you like it up there," I sid. "Yeh. Bye," Mrk sid. Lnce stood up. "Bye. Hve fun." 27

30 "I hope you flunk out up there, or somethin," Rudy sid to Chrles' retretin ck. Mrk, Lnce nd I stood nd wtched Chrles leve. Rudy picked up stone to throw, ut Lnce stopped him. "Go home, Rudy!" "Yeh, sure. Anythin you sy." As Rudy wlked wy Mrk nd Lnce strted fter him. "Hey, leve him lone. It isn't worth the troule." "Yeh, I uess so," commented Lnce. "It's oin to e pretty drery without Chrles," sid Mrk s we were wlkin home. "We'll et used to it... I suppose," I sid. Niht of Re Feel the silence. The ech is deserted nd there is no one left to mke jioise in this erly evenin. Look t the se. The wves roll in off the swellin reen, liftin themselves up to their pek nd then crestin over into cool white fom left hih up on the ech. Step in the fom nd listen to the rush of the ocen clensin the snd. As the fom oozes etween your toes, rethe the cool ir. Let its moist slt tn fill your luns with the sme freshness tht you felt in the se reeze. Close your eyes nd turn slowly, lettin the universe flow round you in the uise of se reeze, the snd, the fom, nd the sound of the ocen. Then open your eyes nd look t the sun. Wtch it sink in the west, wtch it chne from n intense point of fire to hue ll of red flme slowly fllin to the se for nother niht. Wtch s the strs pper in the est nd spred like some divine pln to cover the niht sky in the rest of illumintion. Relize tht this is the universe tht you felt. Think nd elieve in ll the ood nd the euty in this universe tht you re zin t. Think nd elieve in ll the love you hve ever een iven, in ll the friends you hve ever hd, in ll the relity tht you hve ever seen nd felt. Then, nd only then, look down. Look down t the lood on your hnds, nd think nd elieve tht not ll the wter in tht se, not ll the snd on tht ech, not ll the cold in tht ir, not ll the het in tht sun, not ll the liht in ll the strs, none of these cn ever clense or hide tht lood. Drop to your knees nd pound on the snd, nd see if tht does you ny ood. Cry, shout, screm! nd see if tht does you ny ood. Swet, writhe, jump! nd see if tht does you ny ood. Ter t yourself, do ll you wish, until you re too tired to o on. Then pry with ll the strenth you hve left tht for the rest of your life, no one ever looks you nywhere ut riht in the eye... for think wht they miht see. 28

31 Tennis Mtch The wrm erth pulses softly, olivious of the clen rss ru surroundin her. She pulses in colors of red nd rown nd yellow ochre. White, squred tpes nd the slihtly swyin net mrch over the erth in disdinful order nd wrnin stripes. The ll mkes dull, thumpin noise s it hits the erth, risin smll, chokin clouds of red dust. Two plyers run, puse, nd swin with methodicl ftiue. The ll spins nd curves, the dum instrument of strin etween the round nd the rckets. The lines nd the net lick their lips in reedy nticiption. Erth, sun - quenched nd sleepy, ives hollow sp s her side is pin-pricked. A foot slips, rcket reches, ut the strin is roken, nd the ll flies over the sneerin se line. Erth is slpped in the fce y rcket, while the net jeers. Soon the cloud of red dust drifts down in the orne liht of Lter Dy, nd the erth is pushed into her ssined pths y room. Cold nd mjestic, the lines nd net stnd strk in the fdin liht. The erth smiles to herself, for she knows tht somedy tennis will e over. 29

32 the sky. "Lift Off" hih climin 3 2 Inition off 1 lift 0 hve We to 30

33 9C GOL MIDDLETOWN, DELAWARE

34

35

36 t